Rough Sleep – a play by Alysse Aallyn

(CORSO doesn’t like CHASE and JAZZ’s new alliance. They walk toward steps while lights go down on DREAM LAB. CORSO exits huffily)

Scene V – Cafe

JAZZ

You owe me a sandwich for backing up your lie, you lying liar.

CHASE

Liar? I was just being a gentleman. Don’t kiss and tell.

JAZZ

Somehow I doubt your motives.

CHASE

Never give monsters bones to make their soup.  

(He shepherds JAZZ up the steps to SCENE V –  CAFÉ set: table and chairs are set up beneath Tiffany lamp upstage another table with two hunched unidentifiable figures in close conversation at distant table)

Any truth you give Corso, he’ll use it against you.

(Calls offstage)

Two specials!  Meat on the side! And plenty of Joe.

JAZZ

What’s the special?

CHASE

Whatever it is, it’s the only thing they didn’t make yesterday. That’s why we call it “Chem Lab”. I take it you’ve never been here before? Vegan?  Gluten-intolerant? I’ll eat anything you don’t.

JAZZ

I’m on meal plan. I’m currently omnivorous but I aspire to someday be selective. How about your aspirations?

CHASE

Aspirations are good.  I’m pro-aspiration. At the moment, I aspire to anonymity.

JAZZ

 You failed anonymity in dream lab. 

CHASE

I had a job to do. I did it.

JAZZ

Getting yourself kicked out?

CHASE

That was inevitable. I made it through one round, and I found out what kinds of dreams everybody’s having. Now we put it together, like a psychotic jigsaw puzzle.

JAZZ

Are you ever going to tell me why are you so pissed at Corso?

CHASE

 Because he took something from me and he won’t give it back.

JAZZ

Maybe. What’d he take?

CHASE

My future. 

JAZZ

Can he prevent you from graduating?

CHASE

If he makes me a killer. Corso needs to be put down like a rabid dog. It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it.

JAZZ

Please don’t even joke like that. Nobody can take away your future without your cooperation. Go be a lawyer. You’d make such a great lawyer. You argue with everybody.

CHASE

So help me get evidence against him and I’ll let the cops take him off my hands.

JAZZ

You’re obsessed.

CHASE

I call it goal-oriented. Russian-Irish is a volatile mixture.

JAZZ

It’s tunnel vision. There we were, standing right at the edge of the soulmate multiverse and where do you want to go? Corso’s apartment! What is it with men and threesomes?

CHASE

You went to a morgue. So what do you know about the multiverse?

JAZZ

You should have done the reading! Retrocausation. Many Worlds theory.  If the universe is infinite then every possible outcome must happen somewhere.

CHASE

So I kill Corso in some other world?

JAZZ

Haven’t you heard that if you look too long at a monster you become the monster?

CHASE

Too late. 

JAZZ

Are you telling me that my soulmate is a monster?

CHASE

I’m starting to see why we belong together. You should segue out of pre-fashion into pre-law.

JAZZ

I’m allergic to violence. Violence is flirtation with losing control. It gives you nowhere to go. 

CHASE

You referring to that big bruiser who’s stalking you?

JAZZ

Maybe.  He represents my official knowledge of crazy. But now it’s over and I don’t have to talk about it.

CHASE

“Those who make a peaceful revolution impossible make violence inevitable.” 

JAZZ

Oh, please. Your evidence hunt makes sense at least. Let’s do that instead. You get to find out about Corso and I get to find out about you. Where would you go first?

CHASE

Well, I want to go to his office but I’m afraid he’s in there. That nympho-slut Nurse Howk is probably his weak link.

JAZZ

Don’t slut-shame. She’s probably one of his victims.

CHASE

Naah. She’s a fully consenting sub-monster. Didn’t she try to ooze all over you?

JAZZ

She’s just living up to the archetype. It’s one of the signs of a victim.

CHASE

Meaning what?

JAZZ

Don’t you know what an archetype is?

CHASE

I’m a psychology major, I hope I know what an archetype is. I’m asking if you know what it is, and since I’m not getting any answers, I’m going to go see what’s keeping our food.

(Stands up, exits.  Big, ugly, longhaired BEX looms up from darkness and pounds his hands on JAZZ’s table)

BEX

Is that the guy? That’s the weasel you’re dumping me for?

JAZZ

Bex! I told you to get gone.

BEX

I’m just trying to talk to you since you won’t talk to me.

JAZZ

(Tries to stand up but he’s pushing the table into her)

Bex it’s over!  How many ways can I say it? Don’t you have a job to get back to?

BEX

And that player doesn’t?  So now I’m not good enough for you?  Is that it?

JAZZ

 I don’t get what you’re making a big deal about – you’re the one that said we’d never be exclusive! Go find someone else to torture!

BEX

(Leaning in threateningly)

You’re not the boss of me. 

(CHASE returns with tray) 

CHASE

This dude harassing you?

JAZZ

Just go, Bex. Go home.

BEX

Who’s gonna make me?

(Two figures stand up at the distant table and advance – it’s ZANE and KOO)

ZANE

Having trouble here?

(BEX knows when he’s outnumbered and retreats)

BEX

(Shouting over his shoulder)

Better get ready! This means war!

(ZANE and CHASE high-five, ZANE returns to his table – KOO puts a hand on JAZZ’s shoulder)

KOO

We’ve all been there.

(Exit KOO and ZANE)

CHASE 

(Comforting JAZZ whose head is in her hands)

Nice guy.  I think I understand what you saw in him.

JAZZ

(Writhing with mortification, sits down, head on table)

I’m so sorry. What can I say? He’s a jerk, but pickings were slim. 

CHASE

(Serving sandwiches and coffee)

Hey, everyone’s entitled to at least one monster. The good news is, today’s special is meatloaf.

(JAZZ inspects inside her sandwich)

JAZZ

I think I lost my appetite.

CHASE

More for me.

JAZZ

The coffee’s good. Say, Zane and Koo! Huh?

CHASE 

I know, right? Think something’s – going on there? Traumatic bonding?

JAZZ

They didn’t say anything.

CHASE 

We didn’t say anything.

JAZZ

It’s hard to say anything when you don’t know what’s going on,

CHASE

More fodder for my theory that reality is totally submerged – it’s never what you think you see.